I personally feel I'm missing a crucial piece as a GM and that's proper Game-planning. I'm curious to what you each feel is the most important part of game-planning other than scouting offense and defense.

i would say RULES are the most important part of gameplanning in that if you dont have a rule for certain situations you might regret it.

like when it is 4th down and short like 4th down and inches then really if you lose the game you will wonder what if you team went for it would you win the game and in a way have regrets.

Now if you have a rule in place like that and if you win or lose you wont have regrets .

when you scout them,watch a few games of theirs,get a feel for how they run they're off n def.then gameplan to exploit they're weaknesses.set yur own run/pass for def with as little neutral pctge as possible.the more neutral you have,the more yur def plays loose coverage.in a nutshell...STUDY YUR OPPONENT :)

Very true! I started that habit this season and the results have been good, so far. I think what throws me off is how to utilize use the graphical game-planning.

never did that before (the run/pass no neutral thing for defense), but ill try it now and see how it works!

U don't need to use the graphic. The text does the same thing if I understand correctly

This is what I've done, and I'm not the best GM in the game but I usually make the playoffs:

1) Set your game plan 'matrix'. You only have to do this once, and then adjust it from time to time. Offensively, figure out what you want to do on 1st dn, 2nd dn, etc, and plug it in, either graphically or by text. Just set what you want the identity of your team. Defensively, it's a challenge. I used the 'secondary' tab to pick plays where I wanted them, but you can use the 'linebacker' tab too, there is no right or wrong way to do it.

2) I check my playbook usually at the beginning of the season, again halfway through the season, and before the playoffs. I take out plays that aren't working (based on avg per play) and put in plays that might work better.

3) Before each game, I check my depth chart, then pick the plays I want scouted. Lastly, I go to the run/pass ratio, (under defense) and adjust the ratios based on what my opponents is running, which is listed below the sliders. I always pick 100% run or pass, dependant on the majority of my opponents play choices.

That's pretty much all I do...

Eyeballl nailed it. Take the time to study the strengths and weaknesses of your roster, and then pick the plays and pass/run ratio that makes the most sense. It'll take an hour or so to cover every detail, but you should only have to do it once or twice a season. Might not guarantee wins, but you will get the most out of your roster.

Generally speaking you only have to put in a lot of effort once. After that it's just minor changes here and there. If it feels overwhelming at all, just focus on one area. One week, just focus on getting all the correct plays you want in your playbook. The next make sure you set your offensive matrix to call the plays you want when you want in the right proportions. The next do that for your defense. Then add a few rules. Or just spend one whole weekend and do everything at once until your eyes bleed from staring at sliders all day.

I can't seem to figure out how to edit my playbook, take a specific play out and put in another one....I'm sure it's probably right in front of my face...any specific help is appreciated. Thanks.